Unfortunately for Erich, death was not always final for a citizen of the Germanic Star-Empire, and his worst fears were instantly realized as he awoke some time later in a cloning facility. But this was not some ghetto underground facility that an organization like Splinter would run. Instead, it appeared to be top of the line, and clean beyond any doubt.

Erich quickly looked around after his cloning bay began to open and saw something peculiar. Mirage was standing at ease in front of him while surrounded by several heavily armed guards. But something was different. Rather than her usual blue hair and red eyes, she was in fact a normal member of the Germanic species, one who was now dressed in the signature skintight suit of the Imperial Intelligence Services.

Despite this sudden change in appearance, there was no mistaking it. This woman was none other than Mirage. After all, Erich had become deeply intimate with every curve on her body, and he would know her anywhere. But why she had changed so much since the last time they had met, Erich did not know. However, before he could question what the hell was going on, the woman spoke, and in an indifferent tone as well.historical

"Lieutenant Commander Erich "Silber" Jaeger, you are hereby under arrest for the following crimes. Conspiracy to revolt, Murdering an Imperial Officer, drug trafficking, accessory to the murder of foreign security officers on five accounts, possession of contraband, possession of illegal weapons and armor, unlawful sexual relations with a foreign species, unlawful sexual relations with a mutant, pre-martial sex, falsifying records to the department of transportation, and finally felony tax evasion. Since this is a time of war, your sentence has been shifted from an execution to a life of service within a penal battalion. Men take him away!"

Erich could neither believe his eyes nor ears, as Mirage spoke of his various crimes as if she were a member of Imperial Intelligence, and then it suddenly hit him. She was the mole within the splinter the entire time. Colonel Ekberg may have been a scumbag who was associated with an interstellar crime syndicate like Splinter, but it was Mirage who had "identified" him as the rat who had sold the syndicate out to the Vaxkorvian authorities.

Not only that, but many other things were starting to dawn on Erich, as he realized why he had not been able to contact anyone within splinter over the past few months. The government was cleaning house, of all potential rebellious elements that might cause trouble to society during this time of crisis. Mirage had turned them all in. But why she waited to sell him out last? He did not know the answer. All he could do was lash out at the woman with all the hatred his mind, body, and soul could muster.

"You fucking bitch! All of these crimes are your fault! You entrapped me! This is bullshit! I will not spend two hundred and fifty years in a Penal Battalion because of the IIS and its schemes! Fuck all of you dirty, corrupt bastards! Fuck the Empire!"

After saying this, Erich lunged forward and grabbed hold of the sidearm of one of the armed agents who was trying to apprehend him. He quickly aimed down the sights at Mirage's pretty face, who reacted in shock when she saw that her life was in immediate danger. However, she quickly recovered her calm and pressed her fingers to her temples, and in doing so, sliced into Erich's NeuroLink, causing him to drop his weapon, fall to his knees, and place his arms around the back of his head.

No matter how much he wanted to kill the bitch, Erich was unable to move his body in the way he so desperately wanted to do. Instead, Mirage stepped forward with a sultry smile on her face, before kneeling down in front of Erich so they were face to face. She then clicked her tongue and shook her head in disappointment before saying something in front of the other IIS agents.

"It is such a pity.... Your family disowned you, and have now fled from the Empire in disgrace. Your alien slut is dead, and all of your friends have now died horribly in battle. Even the Legendary Black Sun squadron is gone, along with half of the Imperial Navy.

But I've got to say Erich... That explosion you made took out an entire hiveship, something most of our destroyers were not capable of achieving. It is a damn shame it failed to stop the bugs from devouring all life within your homeworld. That's right, Alemannia is gone, and so too are a lot of other fucking worlds.

You may not realize this, but the interstellar network is practically down, save for a few places like this. This means all the deaths that have occurred so far in this war for our survival, well those people aren't coming back Erich.... They're gone for good, trillions of lives snuffed out like candles in the wind...."

When Erich heard this, he looked up at Mirage with a pitiful expression on his handsome face, something that made the woman lick her lips in sadistic pleasure. She then cocked her brow, knowing that the man wanted to say something, as tears fell from his eyes.

"Yes? What is it Erich? Don't worry, no matter what you say, I promise I won't add it to the list of charges you are currently facing. It will stay between the two of us...."

Erich stared straight into Mirage's into her blood-red eyes and asked the question that he wanted to know an answer to the most.

"If this is true.... Then how? How am I still alive?"

Mirage smiled and took a deep inhale, as if she were savoring the man's tears, before giving him an answer, one that did not make him feel any better.

"I already told you, I downloaded your information, and while I may have told a little white lie about which network it was saved to, just know that as long as I am alive, and kicking, you will always be brought back to answer for the crimes you have committed against the Empire.

My poor sweet Erich... It pains me to have to do this. After all, you were definitely my favorite plaything. But unfortunately for you, the Grand Admiral believes that you are our only hope now. He has prepared a suicide mission for you, and other talented pilots like that idiot Butcher, one that is the last hope for the survival of our species.

So, go out and perform like you always have. And maybe, just maybe, I might be able to lighten your sentence. How does that sound? After all, you have nothing left but your service to the Empire!"

Erich did not immediately respond to the woman. Instead, he hung his head low, as if he had admitted defeat. Something that Mirage appeared to relish in. After several moments of awkward silence, Erich said something, but it was in a voice so low that Mirage did not hear it. Nor did anyone else around her.

Perhaps it was out of sheer arrogance, believing that Erich was still completely under her control, but Mirage leaned in close and pointed her ear right up against Erich's mouth as she asked for clarification of what he had just said.

"I'm sorry. What was that?"

In that moment, Erich looked up at the woman he hated more than anything in the world, and said the words on his mind, before viciously biting into Mirage's neck.

"This wolf still has teeth!"

The bite force which a Germanic male was capable of generating was significantly higher than that of a baseline human, in fact it was closer to that of a german Shepard. Thus, when he bit into Mirage's neck with all of his strength, it ripped out of her carotid artery, which caused her to fall to the floor, and hold her neck in shock as she began to bleed out.

As a result of his hostile actions, Erich was immediately assaulted by the other members of the IIS, as the light slowly began to fade from Mirage's now blue eyes. Her last words to Erich were ones that he had heard his entire life from everyone else around him.

"Mutant prick!"

Though Erich was in immense pain from the trauma being inflicted upon him by the other Agents, he could not help but laugh aloud, as he swallowed Mirages blood, which now coated his mouth and face. As if it were the tastiest thing he had ever drank in his entire miserable life. All the while laughing like a madman.

Eventually the Agents' assault ceased, and they began to drag Erich out of the cloning chamber. Where he would prepare for a suicide mission, one which was the final hope that the Germanic Star-Empire, and perhaps the entire Germanic Race had for survival.